Nanny arrested in baby's death

UPDATED 9:39 PM CST Mar 07, 2013

OMAHA, Neb. -

Deputies said a nanny is to blame for a baby's death.

According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Sarah Cullen brought in 4-month-old Cash Bell to Women’s Methodist Hospital the morning of Feb. 28 in critical condition, suffering from significant head trauma.

Shortly after, Bell was flown by medical helicopter to Children’s Hospital, where he died from his injuries five days later.

After further investigation with the county coroner and hospital medical staff, on Thursday, deputies arrested 24-year-old Cullen on a charge of child abuse resulting in death.

If convicted, Cullen could face 20 years to life in prison. Her bond was set at $50,000 Friday.

Police said they arrested Cullen because her stories were inconsistent. At first, she said Cash bumped his head, then she said he feel out of his swing. Her third story was that she fell down the stairs with him and he handed at the bottom.

Cullen's attorney, Joe Howard, said her stories were different because she was nervous. He said Cullen didn't know about the baby's death until she talked to him.

Douglas County Chief Deputy Marty Bilek said the case against Cullen could escalate. He said she is 5-months pregnant and has a 7-year-old child.

“It will be a concern if she couldn't take care of Cash, how will she take care of her own? Something we'll be mindful of, as well as Child Protective Services investigators,” Bilek said.

As part of the investigation, Bilek said investigators will try to determine if the injuries appear to be new, old or occurred over a long period of time.

It is unclear how long Cullen was a nanny for Cash. Her records show a number of traffic citations and a DUI charge.

Her preliminary hearing is set for April 7.

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